LG · Refrigerator · independent service

LG refrigerator repair and error codes

RepairWell diagnoses and repairs LG French-door, side-by-side and other LG refrigerators in Ottawa and Gatineau. We are independent and not authorized by LG. Diagnosis is $89, waived when you go ahead with the repair, with a written finding and quote first. Sealed-system faults are diagnosed by us; any refrigerant work is done by a certified refrigeration technician we work with.

Many LG fridges use the Inverter Linear Compressor, which LG Canada describes as driving the piston in a straight line instead of rotating, and which LG covers with a 10-year parts-only warranty. LG fridges with a digital display also report faults as short codes, sometimes shown with E, r or Er in front, covering fans, sensors, defrost and the water system. A code narrows the search. It does not say which part failed.

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LG refrigerator error codes

The codes below come from LG's support library, which states that its refrigerator code guide was written for all models, so the images or content may differ from your fridge. LG publishes these pages on its U.S. site; the Canadian pages we found would not display their text for us to verify. Codes and their appearance vary by model, so check the owner's manual for your model number.

LG says you can bring a stored code up on the display, for example after a power failure, by pressing Freezer Temperature and Express Frz together for at least 3 seconds; which buttons to press depends on the model. Some faults show no code at all, such as a warm fridge with a running compressor, frost on the back wall or water under the drawers. Those are diagnosed from the model number and the symptoms.

Code	What LG says it means	Checks LG lists for owners	When to book	Source
O F F (Display or Demo Mode)	The fridge is in Display Mode, a retail showroom setting that turns off all cooling in the fridge and freezer while the lights and controls keep working.	Follow LG's steps for your model. On 2019 and newer models, open either door, press and hold Refrigerator and Ice Plus until a beep, then keep holding Refrigerator and press Ice Plus three times. On 2018 and older models, open the right-hand door and hold Refrigerator and Ice Plus together for five seconds. The temperature settings reappear when Display Mode is off. LG says the button names vary by model.	Book only if OFF will not clear, or the fridge still does not cool after Display Mode is off.	LG USA Support
Er FF / E FF	The freezer fan motor is not working normally. LG says this can also happen when ice or frost around the fan locks it.	Reset the power: unplug the fridge or switch off its breaker, then restore power after about 5 minutes. If frost around the fan is the cause, LG's advice is to unplug the fridge and leave the doors open to melt it: about one day in summer, three days in winter. Move the food somewhere cold first, or book a visit instead.	Book if the code returns after a reset or a full defrost, or if you cannot keep the food cold for a multi-day defrost.	LG USA Support
Er rF / E rF	The fan motor in the fresh-food (refrigerator) compartment is not working normally.	Reset the power: unplug the fridge or switch off its breaker, then restore power after about 5 minutes.	Book if rF comes back after the reset; LG says a repeated code needs a technician.	LG USA Support
Er IF	A fault with the ice maker fan, which moves cold air from the freezer to the ice maker. The fridge has a sensor that detects a blocked fan.	LG lists this among the codes that need service.	Book when IF appears, especially if ice production has slowed or stopped.	LG USA Support
Er CF	A fault with the condenser fan, which cools the condenser. LG notes that if it is blocked the compressor overworks and cooling performance drops.	LG lists this among the codes that need service.	Book promptly; with the condenser fan down the fridge may lose temperature.	LG USA Support
Er dH (also FdH or dHF)	A defrost fault: the defrost sensor's temperature did not rise by more than 5 °C within 80 minutes of defrost starting, so ice can build up on the evaporator.	LG lists this among the codes that need service.	Book when dH appears; LG says ice can build up on the evaporator.	LG USA Support
Er FS, rS, r2, dS, rT	Temperature sensor faults: FS freezer sensor, rS and r2 refrigerator sensors (upper and lower), dS defrost sensor, rT ambient temperature sensor.	LG lists these among the codes that need service.	Book when any sensor code appears; LG says performance will be reduced.	LG USA Support
Er CO / C1	A communication error: CO between the main board and the display, C1 between the dispenser and the display.	LG lists these among the codes that need service.	Book if the code stays on the display.	LG USA Support
Er FU	A freezer cycle fault: 10 minutes after start-up the freezer has not dropped below 3.5 °C, or it rose above 3.5 °C during operation.	Unplug the fridge, wait 60 seconds and plug it into a wall outlet directly, not a power bar. Check that the freezer is set to −18 °C, that food is not blocking the air vents, and that the doors close and seal. LG's paper test: close the door on a sheet of paper; it should resist when pulled. Keep door openings short.	Book if FU returns after these checks, or if frozen food is softening.	LG USA Support
gF	The water flow sensor is reporting a fault. LG says a closed water tap, a kinked hose or incorrect water pressure can cause it.	Unplug the fridge for 60 seconds, plug it into a wall outlet directly and allow up to 5 minutes for it to restart. Make sure the water supply tap is fully open and the supply line is not kinked. Check the water pressure against the range in your user manual.	Book if water supply and pressure are normal and gF stays.	LG USA Support
Lo / HI	Not faults. Lo warns that the room temperature has dropped below −10 °C; HI warns that it has risen above 50 °C. LG notes the fridge will not work well in either condition.	If the fridge is in an unheated garage or cottage, the warning is about the room, not the fridge.	Book only if the fridge misbehaves once the room is back in a normal range.	LG USA Support
CH / CL	LG describes these as a refrigerant leak on the high-pressure (CH) or low-pressure (CL) side of the system, flagged when temperature and compressor sensors read abnormally.	None. LG lists these as codes that need service, and sealed-system work is technician-only.	Book when CH or CL appears; we diagnose the sealed system and a certified refrigeration technician does any refrigerant work.	LG USA Support

A code tells you what the control board measured, not which part failed. Tell us the code when you book; it shortens the diagnosis. How to read any error code →

Symptom guides for LG refrigerators

Finding the model and serial number

LG's support page says that on most LG refrigerators the model and serial number label is inside the fresh-food section on the right-hand side of the liner; on newer models it is on the left-hand side of the liner. LG's Display Mode instructions also use the serial number to separate 2018 and older models from 2019 and newer ones, so have the full serial number as well as the model number when you call.

General guide to model labels →

What's specific to LG refrigerators

Inverter Linear Compressor. LG Canada describes it as delivering motor force to the piston in a straight line without rotating, and states a 10-year warranty on it, parts only. A warm LG fridge with this compressor is diagnosed by separating the compressor, its control and the rest of the sealed system before any part is quoted. A compressor claim under that warranty is made through LG.
LinearCooling. On applicable models, LG says LinearCooling holds temperature within about ±0.5 °C by circulating cold air more often than conventional systems. Airflow faults (fan codes FF, rF, IF) matter for that reason.
Fans are monitored. LG's code list says the fridge has sensors that detect blocked freezer, fresh-food, ice maker and condenser fans. A fan code can come from the fan itself or from ice around it; LG's own E FF advice includes a full defrost.
Defrost is monitored too. The dH code is set from the defrost sensor's temperature rise, so a defrost problem can show as a code before the freezer ices over.
Display Mode turns cooling off. A new or moved LG fridge that shows O F F and does not cool may simply be in Display Mode.
Room temperature warnings. LG sets Lo at below −10 °C, which is relevant for garage fridges in an Ottawa winter.

Recalls and notices

We found no Health Canada recall for this category when this page was reviewed. In September 2026, the Government of Canada recalls database's LG brand filter returned one LG listing, for electric ranges, and none for LG refrigerators. Recalls are different from service bulletins, which manufacturers issue to technicians, and from complaints or lawsuits, which are not findings of a defect. If a recall is posted later, the notice will name the affected models and what LG offers.

When to book

Book when LG lists the code as needing service (fan, sensor, defrost, communication and refrigerant codes), when a code returns after LG's reset, or when the fridge is warming with no code at all. If food is at risk, say so when you book. Tell us the code as shown, including any E, r or Er in front, and the model number. The diagnostic is $89, waived if you go ahead with the repair. If the fault turns out to be the Inverter Linear Compressor and it is inside LG's 10-year parts coverage, our written finding is something you can take to LG.

The visit: $89 diagnostic with a written finding, waived when you go ahead with the repair. Refrigerator repair → · All LG appliances →

LG refrigerator questions

My new LG fridge shows OFF and is not cooling. Is it broken?

Probably not. LG says O F F means Display Mode, a showroom setting that turns cooling off. LG's steps to turn it off depend on the model year; they are listed above. If it will not clear, book a visit.

What does Er FF mean on my LG fridge?

LG says it means the freezer fan motor is not running normally, sometimes because frost has locked it. LG suggests a power reset first, then a full defrost with the fridge unplugged. If it comes back, a technician needs to find out why the fan or defrost is failing.

Can I clear an LG error code by unplugging the fridge?

For some codes LG suggests a reset, but the code will return if the fault is still there. Repeated resets can hide a problem while food warms. One reset, then book if the code returns.

My fridge is in the garage and shows Lo. What does that mean?

LG uses Lo to warn that the room is below −10 °C. It is not a fault code, but LG says the fridge will not work well in that cold. Once the room warms, the warning should clear.

Is the linear compressor covered by LG's warranty?

LG Canada states a 10-year warranty on the Inverter Linear Compressor, parts only. Labour and other parts follow the fridge's standard warranty. Claims go through LG.

Do you fix refrigerant leaks on LG fridges?

We diagnose the sealed system. Refrigerant work is done by a certified refrigeration technician we work with, and it is quoted in writing before anything starts.

Other brand guides for this appliance

Sources

Sources checked 2026-09-24.

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